Tag: bella vista

This four-bedroom, 18-foot-wide beauty has many pleasing qualities, chief among them the floors, which are random-width hardwood in most of the home, red tile in the kitchen and bathroom, and simply beautiful throughout. There are three outdoor spaces: one is a roof deck; one is a deck off of a bedroom; the last is a back patio area with red brick and much privacy. The staircase inside is unburdened by claustrophobic walls, so the entire thing is in a sort of atrium with light and space seeming to pour through the banisters.

The location can’t be beat when it comes to food: It’s right near the Italian Market; the stores and restaurants on Washington Avenue; and two supermarkets–one insistently healthy, the other featuring plenty of junk food if that’s desired.

The Overview: This apartment was advertised as “the lowest-priced two-bedroom condo in Old City.” That’s a terrific selling point, as is the parking, doorman and separate storage space the pet-friendly Bridgeview building offers. This 950-square-foot unit has two full bathrooms, exposed brick and high ceilings. Another canny listings touch–a note about sweat equity: “Unit 412 (with the same floor plan but three floors lower) sold in February for $284,000.”What made it sell?: Old City has low inventory, the listings copy was terrific, and it was a legitimately good deal in a great neighborhood with a WalkScore of 94. Even those unappealing photos didn’t hurt.Listed for: $225,000

But, notice–the floors that aren’t carpeted are nice hardwood, which is a good sign. There are two separate entrances, a back yard, and though it’s listed as a three-bedroom, there’s also a “separate sitting area, great for an office or den.”

A 2009 Google Streetview of the vacant lot where the construction site now is.

A dividing wall at 606 S. Eighth collapsed this morning, leaving eight people displaced though none injured or dead, which marks a significant improvement over last week. The heavy rain–not laced with marijuana, to our knowledge–seems to be to blame.

Hidden City co-editor Nathaniel Popkin, who lives nearby, wrote that neighbors were nervous something like this might happen:

Philly Condo for Sale makes HGTV appearance This five-bedroom, three-bath bi-level condo is ready to make its network debut with an endless array of high-end amenities, including a custom maple staircase, gourmet kitchen, marble and granite counters, built-in audio visual system and a full-size bar with wine chiller. And if you can tear yourself away [...]

This week’s trinity is on tiny South Delhi Street, right off of Ninth and Christian, in the beating heart of the Italian Market. The red brick exterior has spiraling branches and a Juliet balcony that give it a sort of old New Orleans look. There’s also room for plantings.

The enormous Ninth Street mural of Frank Rizzo is like the Mona Lisa of Philadelphia: that inscrutable expression stares at passersby–many of whom probably don’t even recognize the former mayor’s iconic mug. But what would happen to that face if Rizzo heard the assertion that the Italian Market should be renamed because the Italian population has been superseded by other ethnic groups?

This week’s trinity is on tiny, little Kater Street, bounded on one end by Schell Street, which serves as a kind of dead end, and on the other by Eighth between South and Bainbridge. It couldn’t get much quieter, a lovely retreat from the hustle and bustle nearby. The three-story home has two bedrooms and one bathroom, and is a cozy 654 square feet.